Act 1 Presents The Sound of Music

Act 1 DeSales University Theatre is pleased to announce that the modern masterpiece, The Sound of Music, will be the final production of its 52nd season.

The musical opens on Wednesday, April 27, and runs until Sunday, May 8, on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts.

On Sunday, May 1, Will Hammerstein, grandson of The Sound of Music and Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, will speak and answer questions following the 2:00 p.m. performance. Will Hammerstein is a founding board member of Oscar Hammerstein’s Highland Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to the purchase, restoration, and preservation of Oscar Hammerstein’s former home and workplace in Doylestown, Pa. Hammerstein’s presentation will be livestreamed on the Facebook and Instagram channels of the DeSales performing arts department.

Inspired by Maria Augusta Trapp’s 1949 memoir of her family, The Sound of Music is the story of the Austrian Von Trapp family and their governess Maria, who comes to work with the children as she discerns whether to become a nun. Eventually she falls in love with the children and their widowed father, Captain von Trapp, who must decide to accept a commission in the German navy at the start of World War II.

Many of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein songs have become standards in musical history, including "Edelweiss," "My Favorite Things," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Do-Re-Mi," and the title song "The Sound of Music."

“I believe The Sound of Music is Rodgers and Hammerstein's most powerful musical, a result of two masters working at their creative peak,” said John Bell, director of the production and professor of theatre. “They managed to tell a love story and story of healing through a series of songs that tug at the heart and send the spirit soaring.”

The book of the show was written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. “It's also a timeless story about standing up against the threat of extremism and demagoguery, making it particularly resonant today,” said Bell.

Creating the Nonnberg Abbey, the Von Trapp villa, and other sets is Will Neuert, associate professor and head of design, while New York City-based costume designer Sam Fleming is designing the costumes. Eric T. Haugen, assistant professor, serves as lighting designer, and David M. Greenberg, sound designer. Vincent Trovato is the music director, and DeSales alumna Christine Baglivio ’15 is the choreographer.

A total of 34 cast members will perform in the show, and the company includes a group of juvenile actors from the Lehigh Valley community.

The Sound of Music opens on Wednesday, April 27, and runs through Sunday, May 8, 2022. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $34 for adults and $32 for students and seniors Monday through Thursday and $35 for adults and $33 for students and seniors Friday through Sunday. There are two talkback performances with the cast. In addition to the Sunday, May 1, with Will Hammerstein, there will be another on Monday, May 2, following the 9:45 a.m. performance. Because of the licensing of the play, Act 1 is unable to stream this production.

Students who attend DeSales or any other Lehigh Valley college or university can purchase tickets for $6. Group discounts are available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center Box Office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting the website at tickets.desales.edu.

To improve accessibility for all patrons, the Saturday, May 7, 2:00 p.m. performance will feature Open Captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and Audio Descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. During Open Captioned performances, all dialogue and sound effects are presented in real-time on an LED screen that is adjacent to the stage. During Audio Described performances, all action and physical appearances are described live through a headset. Tickets are half price for patrons using these special services on this date. Please call Box Office Manager Kyle Schumaker at 610-282-3654, ext. 1, for more information.

The Labuda Center is accessible and equipped with a listening enhancement system. Special seating is available for our patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of your needs when ordering tickets.